Hydrometer apparatus



]. STEINER.

HYDROMETER APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1919.,

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

3 vwcntoz 1 l I I I 1 1 annual- JACOB STEINEZR, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

v nvnnon'nurna APPARATUS. P

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAcoB STEINER, 'a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrometer Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydrometer apparatus, particularly well adapted for use in the testing and care of storage batteries of automobiles and for use in garages.

This invention is an improvement in con struction of the hydrometer apparatus disclosed in my prior Patent l\'o.-1,304:,115, granted May 20, 1919. One object of the present invention is to produce a more durable construction and to reduce the liability of breakage of any parts. Another object is to produce a simpler and more economical construction.

The apparatus is a unitary constructlon always kept and maintained in completely assembled condition ready for immediate and convenient use by the operator. It combines with the hydrometer for testing purposes, a container in which the same may be kept in assembled condition and the container also serves the purpose of belng a reservoir of distilled water, which may be conveniently added to the battery by the hydrometer any time the user desires. It not only provides increased convenlence to former users of hydrometer devices in testing and caring for batteries, but by its unitary character and convenience of use, it ex-- tends the use of the apparatus to automobilists, who heretofore have not become accustomed to properly caring for the storage battery.

The drawing illustrates a vertical sectlon of a preferred'embodi'mentpf my invention. The drawing shows a glass jar or bottle 1 which contains the distilled water. The jar has a neck or outlet 2, which is screw threaded and adapted to receive a. metal screw cap 3, which has a central opening. The bulb 4 of rubber or other suitable material has a latter is screwed onto the neck 2, it will Specification of Letters Patent.

eter from passing into the bulb.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,851.

cause the flange 6 to form an air and water tight joint. Above the central portion of the cap 3 is another rib or flange 7 on the narrow portlon of the tube which extends over the/edge of the cap in the central opening, the cap preferably having an upwardly and outwardly turned edge for avoidin cutting or abrasion of the rubber. The rib g and flange 6 retain the cap in the position shown relatively to the bulb whenever the cap is removed from the jar. The bulb and cap are assembled in the position shown by compressing and folding the bulb and insorting the end through the central opening of the cap, after which the bulb is pulled through the cap and the rib 7 is made to seat over the edge of the cap. I

I have found in my experiments and tests that in an apparatus of this character a tube 8 of celluloid may be used with many advantages and no objectionable results. It is vantage over a glass tube of being practically unbreakable and can withstand the shocks and jars to which the apparatus is subjected in use and the hitting of the hydrometer 9 against the sides of the celluloid tube without cracking, breaking, or abrading the surface of the celluloid tube. It is also yieldable and light in weight and may be economically manufactured. It also of course is transparent, enabling the scale of the hydrometer 9 to be conveniently seen any time. I preferably reinforce the ends of the tube 8 by bands of hard rubber or other suitable material; the tube itself being formed seamless, or with a longitudinal joint. At the upper end of the tube the outer band 10 is adapted. to engage lip or interior rib 11 formed on the depending portion 5 of the bulb as shown so that the tube will be more securely retained in connection with the bulb device.

The inner -band 10 at the upper end of the tube 8 also serves to receive and hold in position a rubber stopper 12 havingvertical holes therethrough for thepassage of air, and serves as a buffer to keep the hydrom- At the lower end of the tube 8 an inner reinforcing band 10 receives a rubber'stopper 13 which has integral therewith a soft rubber tube 1 1 extending to or near the bottom of the jar. The hole through the tube 14: continues up wardly through the stopper 13 so as to permit the assage of air or water into and out of tube 8. At the top of the stopper 13 is a longitudinal slot 15 which connects with the central opening of the stopper 13 so that when the rounded lower end of the hydrometer 9 rests on the stopper 13, it will not close the opening through the stopper 13. The rubber stoppers have no objectionable effect in deteriorating or objectionably afiecting the celluloid tube, which might occur with stoppers of some other material. Within the tube 14, another tube of glass, hard rubber or other material 16 is fitted for the purpose of lengthening the reach of the instrument in order to reach the electrolyte in batteries in some instances. Thus the operator may draw the tube 16 outwardly a sufficient length to reach the electrolyte when it is not readily reached by the tube 14 alone.

In order to carry the apparatus and protect it from injury when not in use, I provide a casing made up of a circular paper casing 17 closed at the bottom by a metal plate 18 having edges which envelop and pinch the lower edge of the tube 17. At

the upper end of the tube 17 a metal threaded ring 19 is pressed into fixed engagement with the paper of the tube and has an inwardly extending edge over the top of the tube as shown in the drawing. In order to further protect the bottle or jar 1, the

- casing is lined with yieldable material at the sides and bottom, such as the corrugated paper lining 20.

Special means is provided for holding the bottle 1 in the casing in the position shown so as to prevent the same sliding back and forth in the casing. Thus the top is shown as being made up of a paper tube 521, closed at the top by a metal plate 18, which envelops and pinches into the top edge of tube 21. At the lower end of this tube a sheet metal ring 22 is shaped to envelop and pinch the lower edge of the tube 21 and extends inwardly and down wardly, and then again inwardly as shown in the drawing. Another ring of sheet metal 23 is screw threaded and adapted to engage the threaded ring 19, and has an inwardly extending flange as shown at 23, the inner edge of this flange being turned upwardly and outwardly to securely engage the inner edge of ring 22 so as to always remain in fixed relation thereto. It will be noted that the flange 23 extends over the main portion of the bottle 1 at the top and consequently when the cover of the casing is screwed into place, the flange 23' will engage and hold the bottle 1 in fixed position relatively to the casing.

, It is clear from the above description that this hydrom'eter apparatus is adapted to be carried in an automobile without danger of breakage of any of the parts and without the necessity of disassembling or separation of the testing means. If desired, the user may keep the apparatus in his garage, or any other place where batteries are used, and yet be always protected from injury or liability of breakage of any of the parts.

In using the apparatus the top 21 is unscrewed and the cap 3 can then be unscrewed from the jar and the device used for testing the different cells of a battery, and if desired for withdrawing distilled water from the jar and ejecting it into the cells of the battery. After use, the testing means is returned to the jar, and the cap 3 screwed firmly into place. 'ith the usual type of testing apparatus, it is necessary to clean the parts in distilled water to prevent the acid or other injurious chemicals from eat ing the casing or \vrappings in which the parts may afterward be placed and to also protect. the device itself, but with my type of construction, the testing means is returned after use to the bottle or jar 1, and the distilled water in the jar causes the device to be self-cleaning and of course the sealed joint prevents the escape of any liquid to the casing or other wrapping which may be used, and thus protects the same bottle, a screw cap for the outlet of said bottle, said cap having a central opening, a bulb above said cap and extending through said-opening within the bottle and having a flange seated between said cap and the outlet of said bottle, a float chamber of yieldable transparent material secured at one end to said-bulb, and a hydrometer within said float chamber.

2. Hydrometer apparatus comprising a bottle, a screw cap for the outlet of said bottle, said cap having a central opening, a bulb above said cap and extending through said opening within the bottle and having a flange seated between said cap and the outlet of said bottle, a float chamber of yieldable transparent material secured at one end to said bulb, a hydrometer within said float chamber, and. perforated stoppers of yieldable material at each end of said float chamber respectively.

3. Hydrometer apparatus comprising a bottle, a screw cap for the outlet of said bottle, said cap having a central opening, a bulb above said cap and extending through said opening within the body, and having a flange seated between said cap and the outlet of said bottle, a float chamber of yieldable transparent material secured at one end to said bulb, a hydrometer within said float chamber, and perforated stoppers of yieldable material at each end of said float chamber respectively, the stopper at the opposite end of said float chamber from the bulb having a tubular extension.

bottom of said casing when said top is in closed osition.

5. I-ydrometer apparatus comprising a bottle, a bulb outside the bottle, a hydroin- 'eter and float chamber within the bottle,

said bulb being connected with said float chamber, a casing for the bottle, and a top for said casing inclosing said bulb, said top having an inwardly extending portion engaging the upper part of said bottle for holding the bottle in position in the casing when said top is in closed position.

JACOB STEINER. 

